Once the shock of the letter disbanding the Group had worn off, a 'kangaroo committee' was set up and whilst I resisted taking any position in this, events have for the moment overtaken me. As John Skillcorn explained in his letter, he has taken on a huge amount of work at University but, even so, he has kindly agreed to type and print the Newsletter so long as I took over the editorship for this issue. From 1997 things will be back to normal, and material for inclusion in the Newsletter should be sent direct to John. So, what of the Group?
During discussions that took place a change of direction was considered. The consensus of opinion was that the disciplines required for keeping Dendrobates and Mantellas are very similar to keeping other tropical Anurans; for example Hyperolius, Phyllomedusa, Atelopus, Agalychnis etc, and some felt that we were losing members by excluding these animals. My purely selfish view is that things are about right but, like the Dutch, we should have articles in the Newsletter on these other groups of frogs. We have no wish to compete with the MS, BWS etc. Our intention must be to supplement not supplant them and, whilst we remain specialists, we are unlikely to encroach into their territories. The BDG has built up a credibility and respectability over the years, one dented by several recent events it must be said, but my view is that we should continue in the same vein and rebuild on our hard-won status. Members will be enlightened on the events to which I allude when the constraints of Sub judice have passed. |
These views are my own. I am happy to maintain the status quo but the British Anuran Group has been suggested as a new name. Things will not change if your views are not made known, so please write and let the group have your thoughts for the next Newsletter, preferably attached to an article for inclusion in it!
In the last Newsletter, September 1996, Dr. Clive Cummins, who has been co-opted as our new Chairman, made mention of the surplus funds and our request that these be transferred to our new account. The Acting Treasurer wrote requesting precisely this...
Mick Bajcar
GUEST EDITORIALS
One of the jobs the editor of any publication has to do is the Editorial. At
times this is a pleasure; sometimes it is a chore. It depends upon the variety
of subject matter in any particular Newsletter. If each of you were to be the
Editor of the Newsletter in turn, I wonder what part of our hobby you would
decide to write about! Well, wonder no longer.
I have decided to give the idea of Guest Editorials a go. Not that I'm expecting to have to ask people as such. It would be nice to get to know other peoples' points of view, and what better way of finding that out than by asking the membership to write the Editorial for each issue, starting with this Newsletter.
On the previous page, Page 11, you have seen the sort of thing required, and if you look back at previous issues, I'm sure you will get the general idea. I hope it will be a success, and I look forward to receiving items of around 350 words, which is what is required to fill one page of the Newsletter. Many thanks to Mick Bajcar for starting us off for this issue.
So another year draws to a close, and we will have had mixed fortunes. I am looking forward to a good year for the BDG, and I hope you are too. I hope all goes well with your animals, and that this year turns out to be an outstanding one for breeding results, with more than the usual written accounts of "How I Did It".
That's what we're here for!
John Skillcorn